This invention relates generally to a toy having utility for entertaining domestic cats, more specifically, it relates to an article of manufacture which has a captured ball with which a cat may play--but only in a controlled manner.
Some of the more popular domestic pets which humans have seen to fit to host have been domestic cats. And, it is well known that cats are entertained by moving objects such as balls and simulated mice, etc. In particular, cats seem to be especially attracted to movable things that they can maneuver. Balls of twine and similar round objects that a cat can propel across a floor seem to have special appeal. However, a disadvantage of free-rolling objects is that they frequently tend to pass underneath obstacles such as refrigerators, couches, bookcases and other pieces of furniture, which makes it difficult for either the cat or the owner to retrieve the object, with the result that an interesting game of chase is suddenly terminated.
Also, there is the inherent risk that a cat may sometimes tire of playing with a ball or spool and abandon it in the middle of a hallway or room where it suddenly becomes a hazard to an unsuspecting person who is walking through the area without paying attention to the abandoned toy.
A further comment about cat behavior is that cats seem to lose interest in an object more quickly when they have achieved such a degree of control over it that the object is no longer "trying to escape." Those persons who have seen a cat chase after and catch a real mouse may recall that the cat's interest in the mouse seemed to wane when the mouse became still. When a mouse is dead or is no longer trying to escape, it ceases to be a challenge, and a typical cat rapidly becomes bored.
In view of these observations about a cat's natural behavior, it would be desirable to provide a toy for entertaining one or more cats, and which provides the challenge of a moving object (i.e., a ball) which can move in only a controlled path--and which can never become lost or wedged into a static condition.
It is another object to provide a toy which is configured in such a way that the housing of the toy serves a dual purpose in furnishing the type of enveloping structure that cats tend to find attractive for a regular sleeping area.
Still another object is to provide a toy which will have a more or less consistent appeal to a cat--at least as far as its movement characteristics are concerned, but which can be adjusted by the cat's owner for the noise it produces.
These and other objects will be apparent from a careful reading of the specification provided below, with appropriate reference to the attached drawings.